


Red Under the Hood

by The Big Roman (Hammocker)



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, He's been dying his hair, Insecurity, M/M, One Shot, Pubic Hair, Redhead Jason Todd, Roman finds out, Roman is into it, Romantic Fluff, Sweet/Hot, Vulnerability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 02:23:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20574881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hammocker/pseuds/The%20Big%20Roman
Summary: So, Roman's boy was keeping secrets. Roman wasn’t surprised. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time, but this secret was of particular intrigue to Roman.





	Red Under the Hood

Roman scanned his gymnasium with an attentive disinterest. He’d decided to take the hour to drop in on training exercises for his private guard. A spontaneous visit from the boss was always good motivation to work hard, for both the trainees and trainers.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely random. This particular day, it was Jason's turn to direct a few hours of combat, and Roman was eager to see how he performed. Thus far, as with most assignments that Roman had given him, Jason was proving more than capable. He was authoritative, but personable with the men, showing off blocking and defensive maneuvers, offensive strikes, grabs and throws, before dividing them off to practice on each other. Even more importantly, Jason was quick to correct issues with form and interpersonal conflict.

It didn’t escape Roman’s notice, though, that there seemed to be a more persistent conflict among the ranks. Some kind of squabble between a David and Gilroy. Roman didn’t observe close enough to know exactly what the problem was, only hearing a snippet here and there as they got louder and louder as the clock ticked on. It was throwing everyone else around them off, and increasingly so. Despite that, Roman stayed quiet. He was watching for Jason’s response, and he wasn’t about to undermine Jason’s authority by stepping in just yet.

Jason had noticed, his glances their way told Roman that much, but he clearly had more lenient than Roman would have. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it couldn’t continue.

“Come on, hit me harder, you know you want to,” David goaded, seeming to have completely forgotten the defensive nature of the drill.

Gilroy did exactly that, hooking David in the collarbone, far above where he was meant to be aiming. “Quit screwing around, asshole,” he hissed back. “You’re pissing me off.”

“Yeah, like I wasn’t pissing you off just standing there,” David bit back. “You’re such a little bitch.”

That earned him another solid punch.

Somewhere between the needling, Jason strode over to have a word with the two of them.

“Focus, guys,” Jason chided. “We can’t be trying to kill each other out in the field. That’s the enemy’s job.”

That got a brief laugh from the two and, just like that, things seemed to return to relatively quiet drilling. By all of Roman’s metrics, Jason had handled the situation with flying colors. That was his boy.

Unfortunately, not everyone showed the same kind of discipline. Not more than ten minutes later, the two were back at it, and it was more vicious than ever. The drill was a grapple and pinning maneuver, and neither of them had allowed the other to turn them over. They were less practicing on each other and more trying to one-up each other. Not only was it an embarrassment to watch, it was disturbing the pairs closest to them as well.

“Back the hell off!” one man snapped at Gilroy as he had to duck out of the way to avoid being barreled over.

A pittance of an apology later and the two were grappling again, and now, the insults could have been heard in a ten mile radius.

“Get off me, asshole, you’re doing it wrong!”

“_I’m_ doing it wrong? You can’t even place your feet right!”

“What the hell do you know, you ginger freak?!”

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?!”

Then, the two of them were at each others’ throats, almost literally, completely dissident from the current drills, flailing like baboons.

That was when Jason had had enough. Faster than Roman had ever seen him move, he stormed over to the two of them and grabbed Gilroy’s shoulder, shoving him back. David wasn’t far behind, receiving an open palm slap to the center of his torso that had him reeling.

“That’s enough!” Jason shouted. “Both of you! Hit the bricks, cool the hell off. Don’t let me catch you even looking at each other wrong.”

Glancing at each other, the two hurried off, David stumbling after his rival. Damn did Jason hit hard when he was pissed. Although, there was something else. It wouldn’t have been obvious to a casual observer, but Roman didn’t think he’d ever seen the kid so damn tense. Sure, he was rarely relaxed, but almost never this drawn up either. It wasn’t the kind of frustration that Roman was used to seeing in Jason when things weren’t going right, it was something deeper. Something that compelled Roman to approach Jason, albeit casually and briefly.

Roman brushed past Jason, only slowly enough to catch Jason looking his way.

“You’re okay, son,” he murmured as he went. “Good job.”

Roman didn’t look back as he moved along to observe a different group.

*****

It wouldn’t have been the first time Roman had laid in bed, awake as Jason dozed. He took no pride in it, but it was nice, seeing the kid relaxed and easy for a change. 

Roman’s only motions were to breathe and to stroke down Jason’s scalp. Since the kid had first let him get this close, Roman had noted just how soft his hair was. Not to mention that petting the back of his hair was the quickest way to disarm Jason. It was beneficial for Roman to touch all around, and Roman had made a point to provide Jason with good shampoo just to nudge him in the right direction.

Maybe Roman had just never thought about how good something like hair could feel against his hands before Jason. He’d seldom done more with hookers than fuck and pay, never giving a thought to affectionate gestures. Jason wasn’t like that, though, and Roman had enjoyed that strange layer of affection with him. He’d indulged for far too many nights by now in the act of stroking and staring at the back of Jason’s head.

Typically, he’d fall asleep in the midst of it as exhaustion naturally set in. This night, though, something unusual caught Roman’s eye. At first, he suspected he was just seeing things in the dark of the room, but no, it was still there as Roman reached two fingers out to grasp it. A streak of color in a sea of black locks. Not just any color either. Even then, Roman could see that it was a plain shade of red. Not light enough to be blond, not dark enough to be brown. It pointed to an intriguing conclusion, one that explained the events of a few days back.

So his boy had been keeping secrets. Roman wasn’t surprised. It would explain his penchant for intimate waxing.

Roman stroked around the streak of red for a long moment, petting through the adjacent hair with something like reverence. Once he’d finished that small ritual, Roman took the strange lock of hair between two of his fingers, gazing at it as though hypnotized. It was hard to believe what he was seeing. Maybe it was all some strange dream. In a bid to test that idea, Roman gave a light tug, seeing if it might just fall away. It never did.

That was when Jason grumbled and reached up with one weak hand to wave Roman away.

“S’op ‘at,” he mumbled, even with a smile in his voice.

Roman felt a smile cross his own phantom lips. Jason was cute, cuter than Roman would have cared to admit. He couldn’t help but oblige, releasing his grasp and giving Jason one final stroke before resting his hand against Jason’s side.

It didn’t mean that Roman had forgotten what he’d seen, not by a longshot. He simply had to find the right time to play his hand. An opportunity like this couldn’t be missed after all.

*****

It was lunch the next day when Roman found an opportune moment to bring up the prior night’s observation. He and Jason had lunch together only a few times in a week, thanks to Roman’s schedule, and it was a typically uneventful, if pleasant affair. Jason wouldn’t be expecting anything, and the way he comfortably packed in food only confirmed that.

The exact perfect time to strike.

“I didn’t realize you dyed your hair,” Roman said between sips of water.

Jason froze, eyes going wide in the middle of chewing an oversized bite of food. Roman was surprised he didn’t let any of it spill out of his mouth. He might have laughed. Good manners for an unruly boy.

Sooner than later, Jason managed to get what was in his mouth down before giving an unsteady laugh.

“My hair?” Jason echoed, feigning incredulity. “I don’t- What makes you think that?”

His carpet might not match his drapes after all, that was what.

“You’ve got a ginger streak in the back,” Roman pointed out. “Is that natural?”

Jason was flushed red by that point, giving Roman exactly the answer he’d suspected. He reached up to touch the back of his head, and squirmed as he answered Roman.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s- thought I dyed that out, that’s all.”

Roman nodded along, making like he believed Jason. “Ah, of course.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Jason said, ducking his head like it might hide his shame.

“Don’t,” Roman implored, making a point to sound detached. “It gives you character.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed, making it clear that he didn’t buy Roman’s excuse for a second. Good boy.

“I’d really rather take care of it,” Jason insisted. “It’s not exactly intimidating.”

“You’re not taking your hood off when you’re enforcing, are you?”

“No, but...”

Jason trailed off, his hand falling away from his scalp.

“But?” Roman echoed, less impatient than he sounded.

“It’s _embarrassing_,” Jason hissed at last. “I can’t be around the guys looking like _that_, and I can’t wear the hood all the time.”

Jason wasn’t wrong, about his hood anyway. He couldn’t wear it all the time, and eventually Roman’s men would see what Jason looked like. However, Jason wasn’t the first redhead Roman had hired, and any snide comments could be promptly dispelled by a broken nose, if any were made at all. Roman didn’t hire people for the color of their hair.

“Fair enough,” Roman said at last. “It’s your prerogative.”

Jason’s interest perked up even more at that, clearly having expected Roman to push. Good. There was the seed of an idea in his brain. If Roman pushed, Jason would inevitably pull back and it would take far too long to bring him back. If Roman left Jason to his own devices with the idea, then, well, Jason could make up his own mind then.

Still, Roman found his instincts telling him to take a small gamble.

“But, like I’ve always said, red is your color.”

Fittingly, Roman caught Jason’s cheek flush at those words.

“I should go help out at the docks,” Jason said, pushing himself to his feet.

“Watch yourself out there,” Roman told him as he left.

Jason took his leave without another word, leaving Roman to finish his meal. Roman smiled to himself, figuratively, well-aware that it was now a waiting game.

*****

The next several weeks were unusual, in a word. Jason wore his hood more and more often. He was flighty and didn’t come to half as many meals as he used to. Most noticeable of all, Jason had stopped sleeping in Roman’s bed. Instead, he’d been sleeping in his own room, or out at one of his safehouses.

The two of them hadn’t had sex through Jason’s off behavior, an activity that Roman had gotten used to partaking in every other night. He’d considered resorting to calling back one of his former frequent escorts, but as soon as he’d thought of it, Roman had found himself feeling sick at the idea.

It had made him laugh, but it came out a dry sound. He was in this rabbit hole deeper than he’d ever wanted to go, and he didn’t even mind.

Worse than the lack of sex, though, was simply the lack of Jason’s presence. Everything seemed so very grey without Jason. Meetings were close to unbearable knowing that he was likely to only have Jason to himself for maybe an hour that day. He found himself snapping at his men even when they really didn’t deserve it. Everything was more exhausting than it ever should have been.

Was this how his life was before Jason, and he’d just never noticed it? It seemed likely.

Still, Roman knew that he had to wait. If he pushed too soon, then Jason was liable to pull back and never decide of his own free will to reveal his little secret.

It didn’t make sleeping at night without Jason next to him any easier.

It had to have been more than three weeks since his proposal when Jason made a rare appearance at dinner. Although, his face was conspicuously absent, covered entirely by Jason’s beloved hood. How could Roman not make comment?

“Jason, you know as well as I do that it’s not polite to cover your head at the table.”

Even unable to see his face, Roman could recognize that defiant stare that Jason gave him.

“It’s not coming off,” Jason said. “Not like you never wear a mask at the table.”

Roman had to laugh. Fair enough, kid.

That’s how all the meals that Jason come to went from then on, Jason not once allowing Roman to see him. It ought to have been infuriating, what with Jason giving him the cold shoulder lately, but instead, it enticed Roman to wait even longer, anticipating what Jason was so determined to keep to himself.

And, after all, Roman was good at nothing if not waiting.

*****

The dam finally broke sometime on the fourth week of Roman waiting.

Jason had come to dinner, hood still hiding his face, and Roman assumed nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until Jason followed him back to the bedroom. Roman held his tongue until Jason had shut the door behind them, something that he normally would have done in their regular routine. Good boy. He hadn’t forgotten his manners even after weeks of keeping his distance.

“Can I help you, stranger?” Roman asked as Jason turned to look at him.

“Shuttup,” Jason mumbled.

The retort was uncreative and uncertain and completely uncharacteristic for Jason.

“Well, it’s not every day I have such a handsome young man in my bedroom,” Roman continued on despite Jason’s protests. “Though, it’s very hard to court like a proper gentleman when I can’t see that young man’s face.”

Jason wasn’t playing the game tonight, responding as flatly as if Roman hadn’t uttered a word of flirtation in his beckoning.

“You’re gonna think it’s ridiculous,” he argued. “I know I do.”

“Try me.”

Finally, with much hesitation, Jason reached up and pushed the hood off of his head, tossing it to the side like he wanted it all to be over with. Roman was blessed with his first glimpse of Jason in almost a month. Even if Jason looked just the way he had before Roman’s pressing, Roman still would have scooped him up and carried him to bed to shower him with affection.

But no, Jason had changed, and it stopped Roman dead in his tracks. His hair, his brows, even a slight stubble he’d cultivated, all were a rusty orange color. Like he was being pulled along by a string, Roman stepped up to get a closer look.

“I can change it back,” Jason pleaded with wide eyes, after a moment of silence. “I know, it’s bad, I’ll change it, I’ll-”

Roman reached out to cup Jason’s cheeks, silencing him.

“No,” Roman breathed, reaching up to stroke a lock of Jason’s hair. “It’s cute.”

“‘M not,” Jason mumbled, squirming as his face flushed redder than his hair.

“You are,” Roman insisted, leaning in to nudge his face against Jason’s.

It was only then that Jason seemed to relax, if only just a bit. He let go of some of the tension in his shoulders, and his eyes fluttered shut. It was rare to see Jason so easily drop into a pliant, submissive state. That seemed to be his reaction to strange situations, allowing Roman even more room to make decisions for both of them. Jason was spitfire, but he welcomed direction more naturally than anyone else Roman had ever known. And Roman was nothing if not a natural leader.

“Come on, get the rest of your clothes off,” Roman ordered, ever so gently as he backed off.

Jason hopped to obey, shedding his armor and clothes with a practiced ease. He stopped at his boxers, though, and moved to gather his clothes to put them in the closet.

“Don’t worry about that now,” Roman said, beckoning Jason towards the bed.

Jason stared at him like a deer in the headlights before moving to climb onto the bed, partly on his side, body still tight and anxious.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Roman purred, striding towards him. “You’ve got nothing to be nervous about.”

Jason’s grimace told him that he was less-than-convinced, but nonetheless, Roman made quick work of his own clothes, discarding his jacket, shirt, and most everything but his undershirt and briefs next to Jason’s pile. Only then did he kneel on the bed above Jason, again taking the time to drink in the sight of him. He was utterly gorgeous, his hair reminding Roman of the colors of a sunset, complementing his features neither better nor worse than his usual black dye. The very dye that Roman could see just barely at the tips of Jason’s russet hair, long since faded.

Roman wanted nothing more than to kiss this boy stupid. He’d never known himself for having a thing for redheads, but damn…

Roman leaned down, once more nudging his face against Jason’s, on his cheeks, his lips, his forehead. Jason broke out in an uncomfortable laughing fit, batting at Roman.

“Sto-op! Stop!” Jason begged, though, it certainly didn’t sound like he meant it, and he wasn’t fighting like he meant it.

Roman paid him no mind, continuing on indulging himself and how close he was to Jason, seeing him as he was.

“I don’t know, Jason,” Roman said in a brief reprieve from his assault. “You might have to keep like this.”

“Not on your life,” Jason bit back. “You’re lucky that I’m letting this happen at all.”

“We’ll see,” was all Roman had to say to that.

He pulled back and turned his gaze downward, to the briefs Jason had yet to be rid of.

“But does the carpet match the drapes?” he teased, reaching down.

“Just couldn’t help yourself, huh?” Jason groaned, letting his head tip back.

“I can never help myself with you.”

True to his word, Roman slid down Jason’s briefs before tossing them away. Sure enough, Jason’s groin was framed by short, rusty red curls of hair. Something about it made Roman shudder, and it wasn’t just the view of Jason’s already half-hard cock.

“Just get to the point,” Jason bellyached. “You know how horny I’ve been?”

“Just as much as I’ve been,” Roman countered.

“What? You couldn’t just call one of your broads?”

“No,” Roman said, candid as he’d ever been. “No, I couldn’t.”

Jason blinked, his mouth falling ajar. Roman thought it a little odd of a reaction until the reality that Jason didn’t share his mindspace hit him. Roman himself would have been shocked months ago, but now he knew for a fact that there was no going back to other bed partners after Jason.

Roman reached down to palm Jason’s cock and feel at his newly grown hair. It was still wiry and sparse, but Roman didn’t give it so much as a second thought. It got to him just the same, and Roman found himself fixated on the idea of having his way with this boy. Maybe it was that he’d gone almost a month without sex, or maybe it was his sudden fetish for redheads, but Roman wasn’t about to waste time.

He pulled away from Jason, but only long enough to return with lube from the bedside drawer. Jason was quick to respond, spreading his legs and welcoming Roman back.

“My sweet boy,” Roman rumbled, conjuring his lower register as he coated his fingers. “You really missed me, didn’t you?”

“Think you missed me more than I missed you,” Jason said, giving him a smirk.

“You could be onto something there, my boy.”

Roman prodded at Jason’s entrance with two fingers, prompting a surprised hiss from Jason.

“Just don’t go spreading that kind of sentiment around,” Roman continued. “People might talk.”

“They already talk, you know tha- _Ah_!”

Jason was cut off by his own yelp as Roman slipped his fingers in. God, had Jason always been this tight? Or had Roman’s memory of how he felt just started to fade. Was the same true of Jason? Roman couldn’t help but wonder.

Jason reached up to grab at Roman’s shoulder for purchase, grimace slowly fading.

“Relax for me, sweetheart,” Roman cooed. “You want to take me, don’t you? We both know that you can.”

Jason gulped in a breath and Roman felt him making the effort to let go of some of the tension he held. Roman thrust his fingers in and out, but more gently than he would have normally, insistent but within reason. And, despite his strain, Jason’s cock was hard as ever, even dripping precum now.

“So beautiful…” Roman murmured.

That alone seemed to help Jason ease up, his jaw falling open, head tipping back, and Roman took the opportunity to slip one more finger in. Jason was ready.

Roman didn’t waste any more time than he needed to, pulling the digits out and repositioning himself to near-mount Jason. Only then did he pull out his own erection, already hard and ready from their foreplay.

Jason gave an indescribable throaty sound at that, staring downward before wrapping his legs around Roman’s back, tugging him forward.

“Eager, are we?” Roman teased, leaning down to bracket Jason with his arms.

“Fuck, I’ve been eager,” Jason said, tapping Roman’s back with his heel. “Get to it, stud.”

Roman chuckled deep in his throat, but he complied. He reached down to line himself and Jason’s entrance up, and pushed his hips forward. With a little encouragement, the head slipped in with no problem.

Jason gasped, wrapping his arms around Roman. His often unkempt hair was even more bedraggled from rubbing his head against the bed, and it would have made Roman smile if he’d had lips.

“Good boy,” Roman hissed. “Just- take it. Feel it.”

The groan that escaped Jason’s lips told him that he was feeling it at least, and more came as Roman pushed himself deeper. Roman had to stop himself from shoving into Jason, from claiming the tight heat that enveloped him like it had so many times before. He could feel his phantom eyelids fluttering and sparks in his belly. It was like coming home, something that Roman fully intended to do.

“Fuck- fuck me,” Jason breathed. “Roman, I can take it, _fuck me_.”

How could Roman say no to that kind of offer?

With a simple shift of his hips, Roman started thrusting in earnest, setting a steady pace. Within moments, Jason was moaning under him, giving Roman every indication that he was hitting his prostate with every thrust. Roman wasn’t losing out either; Jason was like a vice around his cock, stimulating every nerve there.

Given how long it had been since they’d done this, Roman was keenly aware that neither of them would last long. Nonetheless, he made an effort to make the experience as pleasurable as possible for both of them.

Sure enough, Roman soon felt Jason’s muscles tighten around him, more so than normal. His boy was close and so very ready to finally get off. Really, Roman was just as ready.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Roman goaded between short, labored breaths. “Come for me, I know you can without ever having that pretty cock of yours touched.”

If Jason’s face could have gotten more red, then it must have done just that. Still, he seemed to resist, gritting his teeth.

“Come on _my cock_, Jason, make a mess of yourself,” Roman growled. “You’re so damn pretty, you’ve earned it.”

Finally, Jason let out a falsetto cry and clenched around Roman as he came over his torso. Roman wasn’t far behind, letting himself give a long rumble as he felt his balls draw up and his cock twitch inside of Jason. His whole body was electric, lighting up as he spilled inside of Jason. Some primitive part of his brain reminded him of how fertile Jason might be, how easily he welcomed Roman to bareback and _breed_ him.

That thought had him leaning down to bite Jason’s neck, staking his claim on his pretty, redhead boy. Jason gasped, but allowed it just the same.

As the seconds ticked on, and they both came down from the high of climax, Roman slipped out with little reverence. He took a deep breath and drank in the sight of Jason, _his_ Jason. The only person in the world who he would have done anything and everything for, if only to see Jason happy.

And now Jason was beyond precious with his natural ginger hair. With a phantom smile on his face, Roman brushed a lock of it out of Jason’s face. His boy.

Carefully, Roman gathered Jason up before flipping them over so that Jason rested on top of him. Jason grumbled, but cuddled up to Roman nonetheless, pressing his cheek into Roman’s chest.

“Missed you,” he muttered.

“I missed you too,” Roman returned, leaning down to nudge the top of Jason’s head.

That was all that needed to be said. Just like that, things seemed to return to just the way they were before all this redhead business.

In the ease of the afterglow, Roman petted Jason’s hair, just the way he had on that night when he’d discovered Jason’s little secret. Now there was nothing and nowhere to hide, and Roman pulled Jason closer at the thought of it.

There was a special kind of power in that, he realized, one that was different than what the kind he was used to. The power of brute strength or corporate manipulation. What Jason had over him, and indeed, what he had over Jason wasn’t like that.

What they had was stronger.


End file.
